Alone in the Universe
by Missuss
Summary: Alone and cold, a chipmunk sits without a clue who he is, where he came from or where he belongs. To be alone in the universe is a scary thing...
1. Peanutbutter and Pickles

**Alone in the Universe**

**"Always smile more than you cry, give more than you take and love more than you hate." ~Unknown **

**Alvin Seville**

Creaking from the stairs behind me makes me sink low in the cushions of the couch. I could practically see his eyes shifting around the room trying to spot me. But he was moving about on a hunch, something that Simon does not particularly like despite him being a successful inventor. He preferred the comfort of fact. I on the other hand, was in deep trouble because of my own hunches… why did I have to say that? More important, why did I have to say it now? And to _her_?

"Alvin?" Simon whispers. He wanders around the dark apartment quietly as not to wake up the girl upstairs. We had been out of high school for only a year and most of us had split off and made homes of our own more quickly than what was standard by the humans. Dave had questioned us all settling down so quickly, but mom insisted that it was only natural being that we weren't humans at all. Theodore was the first to move out of the house, surprisingly. We all thought that Theo was a big homebody considering that he enjoyed the quiet life compared to Simon or I. He started renting an apartment in the city, and soon invited his longtime girlfriend, Eleanor, to move in with him. Her sisters were in complete hysterics when she actually accepted.

A couple months later, I left the nest. I couldn't stand being around the two most boring people in the world. All Dave did all day, saying that his music writing days were long behind him, was cook and he even knitted from time to time. Simon, on the other hand, read, studied, and filed out applications to any of the universities he had forgotten. I couldn't play music, video games, or even talk on the phone without bothering one of them. So I found a shabby apartment a little downtown from Theodore and moved in the few things I possessed. I hadn't been seeing Brittany at the time, but one night when the rain was coming down in sheets; there she stood at my doorstep. I couldn't take my eyes off her, just like always. Despite her make-up running, her hair frizzing out, and her wet clothes, I thought she was a knock out. Apparently, she couldn't stand her life at home any more either. Jeanette was a love sick novelist while Miss Miller was practically losing her marbles (well, more than usual). So right then and there, Brittany became a roommate of sorts. Though slowly, she became much, much more than that. Our relationship didn't form over dinner and a movie like normal people. Our love was a game of testing our limits with each other. One touch here, another there… she didn't yell, time for phase two. Though, it was a while before we accepted that what we had went far beyond friendship. She was my girl and that was good enough for now.

Amongst my own blooming love, my little brother Simon was starting to experience him own romance. Jeanette came out with a book the following spring after high school had ended. It was a love story of course. As good as Jeanette was with chemicals and test tubes, we all knew that her heart lay in the binding of good literature. Despite her lack of a higher education, Jeanette published a half way decent (by my standards) novel about an intellectual who never noticed the person standing right in front of him. To just see her would be too simple for the scholarly protagonist. Though, once he lost something that he held sacred, as most heroes do, the girl picked up the pieces and he began to finally notice her. He was sorry of course, but the twist at the end is what shocked me. The girl didn't accept, in fact, she left. Upon reading this ending, I stormed to the Miller residence in the middle of the night, manuscript in hand, and demanded a better, or at least, happier ending. Jeanette replied by saying that she had none. Well, the release of the book practically slapped my brother across the face. He worried for days that if he finally told Jeanette that he noticed her and always had that she would leave too. That she would tell him that if he had really cared he would have done something sooner. But that's just the thing, he cared _so_ much that he couldn't bear to tell her and have every hope and dream dashed away just like that. To his luck, this did not happen. He confessed and she kissed him right in my apartment during a get together of Brittany's friends. I remember there was a lot of clapping, but it was all blocked out by the pride I was feeling towards Simon. As grown up as he thought he was, it was a joy to be able to watch him progress in the areas he had previously deemed unnecessary such as love.

Well, soon Simon was leaving Dave behind to live in a more glamorous apartment compared to either me or Theodore. Simon had saved more for his future then either of us. He immediately welcomed Jeanette into his home just days after Miss Miller went to a retirement home in Malibu. So here I am now, cowering in his huge apartment on his huge couch.

"You might as well just come out," Simon says. "I won't ask what's wrong. I just have to make sure it's you and not a real robber."

"Just go back upstairs," I tell him softly.

"Alvin," he peers over the couch to watch me. I stay still for a moment, feeling pathetic as I lay there on the couch in a ball. Simon shakes his head and comes around to join me. By this time, I'm sitting up straight with my legs stretched out and resting on his coffee table. "What happened between you two this time?"

"You said you wouldn't ask questions!" I argue, wanting to avoid my mistake at all costs. It wasn't that I couldn't talk to my brother about all of this, it was that I knew the moment I went home I would have to face her wrath.

"I lied," Simon shrugs, propping up his feet as well. Jeanette always got mad when we did this, but since it's just the two of us sitting her at two in the morning, what she doesn't know won't hurt us (emphasis on the _us_). Well, Simon anyways. Jeanette's never took a real swing at arguing with me before. She knows I have way too much experience.

"What a brother," I huff, crossing my arms like a child. "Here I come, thinking I can trust my closest sibling and this is what I get?"

"Pretty much," Simon says dryly. I roll my eyes during the silence that follows. "Alvin," he turns his head towards me. "You can really tell me anything, I won't judge… much. But you know what I mean."

"Yeah," I whisper. "Only a little laughter, a few sarcastic comments and a degrading comment. No biggy, I should be used to it by now."

"Okay, so go on," Simon says, ignoring my own sarcasm. As much as Simon was a pain in my behind, he was still my brother and I could trust him with anything. I knew that of all people, Simon would provide a clear answer to my problems.

"I, well," I start slowly, sitting up straighter and putting my feet back on the ground. I fold my hands and place it between my knees as I ponder what to say next. "I ask Brittany a question."

"You didn't," Simon warns. "Oh my God you did!"

"Not _that _question!" I protest.

"Marriage is not in your near future," Simon crosses his arms. I pout a little at the comment. Thank you Simon for pointing out the obvious. Of course I hoped that I would be spending the rest of my life with Brittany, but I knew just as well that it was way too soon. "Then what?" Simon leans back in his seat with his hands behind his back. "It's not like you asked her if she was on her period, or better yet, that she was pregnant."

"Well," I freeze. _Crap._

"Alvin," Simon turns to me slowly. "You're a dead man."

"Don't I know it," I whisper. We sit there in silence, just waiting for something to happen. "She's been so moody lately," I comment after a while.

"Well, she is Brittany."

"More than usual I mean," I say. "I mean, I caught her in the kitchen dipping pickles in peanut butter and _eating it_," I shiver in disgust. "Can you imagine?"

"So?" he asks. "That was supposed to be your que to just get up and walk away." I nod at Simon's comment. It's true; I should have just left instead of trying to be a smart ass. Before I can say anything though, Simon's phone rings, filling the whole apartment with shrill noise. Simon turns his head sharply to the left and lunges towards the phone. But before he can reach the phone, the noise stops.

We sit there in complete silence for three whole minutes, holding our breaths all the while. Creaking from upstairs makes Simon cringe. Jeanette lumbers down the stairs with her eyes half open and her glasses hanging loosely on her nose.

"Go home Alvin," she grumbles.

"I can't go home!" I protest, good and ready to get down on my knees and beg Jeanette to let me stay. "Please! She's going to kill me!"

"Brittany's in hysterics because she doesn't know where you are," Jeanette says simply, rubbing her eyes. "She wants you home. She isn't going to hurt you."

"Much," Simon adds.

"No one asked you!" I turn to him. Jeanette comes all the way down the stairs and grabs my arm, forcing me out of her front door. "Simon!" I try to get his attention, but he only shrugs before the door is closed. "Well fine!" I kick the door and stomp off into the rain.

**~Hey guyss :)**


	2. Feed Me to the Lion

**Alone in the Universe**

**"You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment" ~Dave Barry**

**Alvin Seville**

"Some brother I have," I slam my car door shut. "Feeding me to the lion, that's what he's doing," I grumble, turning the key in the ignition. I listen to the car rumble to the life as the radio hums softly amongst the noise. I decide, after sitting there for a few minutes, that going home now would probably be my only chance of survival… I mean, if I prolonged my return, she might be even more irritated than she is now. I throw the car into drive and make my way out of Simon's apartment complex and into traffic. As late as it is, the city was still bustling with activity.

After a good ten or twenty minutes of weaving in and out of traffic, I pull into my much shabbier complex. The building is practically crumbling and the dumpster outside the rusted gate is our only decoration. But the place was affordable on a teacher's salary, so that's what I got. I put my fists on my hips. How am I supposed to raise a kid in a place like this? I light a cigarette to relieve the stress as I make my way up the stairs. I open the door slowly, peering into the dark room. The only light being the street lights, I maneuver slowly through the apartment, banging my knees on end tables and such as I make my way to the bedroom, where I would find Britt. I flick the cigarette out the window and pop in a piece of gum before opening the door.

Brittany sits there in her pajamas, flipping through a magazine as I enter. Her blue eyes flick up to meet mine, but only for about two seconds before she watches the celebrities dancing across the page. I come around to sit next to her on the bed, touching her arm lightly as she flips the page. "I'm angry with you," she says bluntly.

"I know," I admit. "But," I poke her sides a little, making her jump. "It was kind of funny."

"How is it funny?" she yells back. "I could have a little person growing inside of me and you think it's _funny_?"

"Sh!" I cover her mouth. "We have neighbors, remember?"

"I don't care!" she screams, breaking free of my grasp. "You're a horrible person!" She gets up, tears streaming down her face as she dashes out of the room and into the bathroom. I sigh, rolling my eyes and flopping onto the bed only to get right back onto my feet. I lumber slowly to the bathroom door and jiggle the doorknob; locked. So I knock, hoping she's calmed down in the last twenty seconds. "Go away!" she screams.

"Apparently not," I murmur to myself. "Brittany, please open the door. I didn't mean it," I tell her apologetically. I can hear the lock click but she doesn't open up. I open the door and watch her sit on the toilet with her legs crossed properly. "Are you going to talk to me?"

"I don't see why I should," she says harshly.

I shake off the initial hurt, knowing that I should get used to the abuse. "Come on, you know that I love you," I say softly. Brittany's features seem to soften a little as she sits there, though she won't make eye contact. "You can tell me what's really bothering you."

Brittany doesn't say anything. She merely gets up and shoves me out of the way so that she can get into the vanity. She holds up the trashcan to me. I look in only to see about a million white sticks. "What's that?" I ask, confused.

"They're pregnancy tests," she watches them too. "I took forty six of them."

"That's a lot of pee," I comment.

"You have no idea," she smirks a little bit. "But in all seriousness," she says, her voice dropping to a much softer tone. "I'm scared."

"Why are you scared?" I ask, encircling my arms around her waist. "You've got me. I'm not going anywhere."

"It isn't like we're married," Brittany whispers. "I mean, you could leave at any time and it wouldn't even matter. Then our baby would have to grow up like we did… without any real parents to take care of us. And I'm sure if that happened, they wouldn't find anyone like Dave who would accept them for who they are."

"Stop being paranoid," I smirk, pulling her to me. "As long as I live, I would never leave you and you know that. The only thing that could separate us could be death."

"Don't say that," she says into my shirt, hugging me back. "You are leaving though," she says. "To that stupid thing in New York… and you're taking you mother of all people."

"She wanted to see the city," I say. She was referring to a convention in the big apple for music and theatre directors. Me being both, it was pretty important that I went. I got an extra ticket to bring someone with me, and originally it would have been Brittany but Dave suggested that my mother, Vinny went with me instead. She was just as musically inclined, and being pretty old, it was probably her only chance to see a big city like New York. That right there killed me. I couldn't imagine never seeing every possible sight on the planet; let alone one just across the country. Thankfully, a certain balloon trip around the world served as all the adventure I wanted for a long while. "Besides," I give her a mischievious smile. "You might be very busy while I'm gone."

"With all the other men in my life," she teases back.

"No," I squeeze her waist, making her smile. "You might be planning a little engagement party for a certain Eleanor Miller soon."

"What?" she screams in excitement. "Theodore's popping the question? When, where and how big is the rock?"

"No, Simon's asking her," I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes. "Of course Theo's gunna ask, he's only been building the courage his whole life! And I don't know all the details, I think he's afraid that you'll spoil it for him," I tell her.

"My lips are sealed," she smiles, planting a small kiss on my lips. I smile into it, but when we break apart Brittany is frowning. "Have you been smoking?"

"Damn gum doesn't work," I say absently. But before I can recapture her attention, Brittany has stormed into our bedroom and slammed the door. _Looks like someone's sleeping on the couch,_ I think bitterly. I can see it now: the lecture of the century courtesy of Miss Brittany Miller. _How Smoking Kills Babies. _

_Give me a break!_

**~Gotta love hormonal pregnant women :D**

**To anyone who hasn't read any of my earlier stories, I usually portray Alvin as an arts teacher in the future since, I don't know, it just seem possible if he wasn't a rock star :)**

**Hope you guys enjoyed! Leave me a review telling me what you think :)**


	3. Patch Work

**Alone in the Universe**

**"You can stick a quarter in that girl's back pocket and tell whether or not it's heads or tails" ~Willard from Footloose**

**Alvin Seville**

"Do you think he'll do it soon?" Brittany asks, hiding herself with the menu in her hands. I put my own down, tired of looking like a fool and a sneak. Brittany, with her eyes wide, shoves the menu back in my face roughly. "They might see you, you idiot!"

"I don't feel like spying!" I protest only to get her hand put over my mouth. I raise an eyebrow and cross my arms. She puts her menu down and takes her hand back. She has this sad look on her face that makes me feel incredibly guilty and my stomach twist into knots. I put my hand on hers and give her an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry Alvin," she whispers, her voice only slightly audible over the crowd inside the small restaurant. "But Eleanor's my baby sister and I've raised her all my life. It's like being a mother and watching your child grow up… some things I just have to see. I can't miss her taking the next big step in her life."

"I guess I understand," I tell her. "I'm sure that when and if he proposes, we'll know. For now, though, let's enjoy the fact that today was pay day and eat."

"You know, we haven't gone out like this in months," Brittany takes a sip of water. She hits me with that guilt again. Going out wasn't in the budget just yet and it's hard enough to pay the bills as it is. Brittany squeezes my hand, signaling that she didn't mean anything by the comment. "I didn't mean it like that," she smiles, obviously seeing the look of defeat on my face. "I mean, it's nice that you and me are taking time off of work just to be with each other."

"Eleanor!" we both snap our heads towards the couple in question. Brittany is already on her feet while I'm just trying to comprehend the situation. "Eleanor, wait!" Theodore screams, tears obviously threatening to burst free. She shakes her head, her blond hair waving slightly as she makes for the back of the establishment. Brittany runs after her, while Theodore passes us, not even noticing that we were there and not getting mad for being nosy. I follow him with my hands in my pockets as he makes his way to the street.

"Where are you going?" I call after him after following him for a couple blocks. "You can't run forever. You have to go back."

"Get away from me Alvin!" he screams, not looking back. He storms into an old park and plops himself down on a rusty swing set. The metal creaks under his weight.

"Don't be like that," I sit down next to him. "This… this is only a bump in the road."

"How can you say that?" he asks me more calmly, looking at me now. Tears glisten on his cheeks. No matter how old Theodore has grown, he still has the sensitivity of a four year old. Sometimes I think that's what makes Theodore and Eleanor so perfect for each other. Eleanor has been so motherly despite being the youngest of her sisters. She was always there to nurture Theodore when me and Simon were anything but, I hate to admit.

"Because you and Ellie have been through too much to break up now," I tell him. "Think about all the years that you spent trailing after that girl. All the years you've lived together and how much you love her."

"I can't face her after that," he whispers. "She said she couldn't marry me… b-but why?"

"She's a chick," I lean back on my swing, letting my legs lift off the ground. "She doesn't know what she wants. She's just as nervous and afraid as you are."

"I guess," he rests his elbows on his knees. "I felt like we were so ready..."

"You are," I encourage. A scream from far away brings us out of our own thoughts. The light of flashlights cuts through the night air. A group of three kids comes down the path.

"Don't be such a baby!" a kid with a backwards baseball cap complains to a boy next to him. The other boy is completely out of his mind with fear, shaking hard as he clings onto a brave looking girl next to him. "You both are pathetic!"

"Shut up Brad!" the girl punches his shoulder.

"Ow!" he yells back. "That's not fair! I can't hit you back!"

"You've done enough," she glares at him. "Are you alright?" she turns to the other boy. He nods slowly. She puts an arm around him and guides him out of the park.

"Hey!" the other boy, Brad, yells after them. "Where do you think you're going?" when they don't answer, he crosses his arms and grumbles something incoherent. "Well _fine_! I see who my _real_ friends are!"

"He reminds me of you," Theodore comments as he marches out of the park begrudgingly after his friends. I laugh at the observation. As much as I hated to admit it, this Brad kid really reminded me of myself. "Alvin?"

"Huh?" I shake my head. "Theodore, you have to go back."

"Why?" he stands up. "Why does it even matter to you?"

"I'm your brother," I tell him. He rolls his eyes, visibly upset. I stand up to put a hand on his shoulder, but he brushes me off. "I love you Theodore, and I won't let you throw this away! She means way to much to you to end it now!"

"But she doesn't feel the same way!" he screams back.

"Yes she does!" I yell right back at him. "Do you even hear yourself right now? This is 'Theodore and Eleanor' we're talking about," I sigh, taking a breath. I take both of his hands in mine and say "they were never supposed to split up."

"I know," he looks at his shoes, tears dripping down his cheeks.

"Alvin!" a voice calls from the parking lot. I catch sight of my car in the lot with Brittany and Eleanor standing on each side of the car. Theodore watches tentatively, obviously unsure of what to do. I take his arm and lead him towards the car.

"Walk with me," Eleanor holds out her hand to Theodore. Theodore takes it in his, looking uncomfortable and scared. I laugh it off, wrapping an arm around my own girlfriend.

"What a sight," she leans her head on my shoulder. "A couple in love."

"Yeah," I sigh. "Don't see that every day." I dig in my pocket for my keys and open the passenger side door to let Brittany in. Once in myself, I start up the piece of junk. "Wait," I watch Britt closely. "How did you drive this thing here?"

"Hotwired it," she says nonchalantly, inspecting her finger nails.

"That's hot," I say to myself, making her giggle. I throw the car in reverse, and we head home.

**~Sorry guys... major writters block. Bllaahhh... I hate it when this happens. Hope this chapter was... at least semi okay-ish :)**


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